Spies, Traitors, and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America examines the challenge of securing the nation without compromising the freedoms upon which the US were founded. The following pre- and postvisit classroom activities, combined with the exhibition analysis sheet, connect the classroom and museum experiences through the exploration of the important themes and questions the exhibition More

The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and the Emancipation Proclamation are often referred to collectively as the Documents of Freedom. As a group, these documents demonstrate the evolution of American democracy and freedoms. The lessons in this unit examine how changes in government impact individuals differently; how freedom is interpreted through More

This unit explores the African American’s experiences during the Civil War. Students will learn how government policy evolved over time regarding African American service in the Union forces and examine issues of propaganda and unequal treatment. The unit utilizes a variety of primary source materials, including illustrations, photographs, and documents. Students will complete a variety More

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, world’s fairs and expositions celebrated the past while introducing visions of the future. Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 and the A Century of Progress World’s Fair in 1933–34. The lessons in this unit cover the art and architecture of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition; the connections More

During the Great Depression approximately 25 percent of working Americans lost their jobs, but how did this really affect the people who lived through those years, and how do our times relate to their experiences? In this unit, students will study the causes and effects of the Depression through the reflections of those who lived More